Three motions to fly a pride flag on municipal property have been defeated three times in as many weeks by a northern Ontario town.
East Ferris Deputy Mayor Lauren Rooyakkers first brought forward a motion March 19 requesting the pride flag be raised for the whole month of June.
Council voted against the motion 3-2 on March 26, but Ms. Rooyakkers requested a reconsideration immediately after the vote.
“It’s basically three percent of the population over the age of 15,” he said. “I’m just wondering where it would stop. This is a splinter group.”
He said people could fly any flags on poles on their own property “but when we put a flag on municipal property and it’s only three percent of the population of Canada—that’s a splinter group.”
“I don’t see any reason for that flag flying,” Mr. Kelly added. “There are a lot of groups that represent more than three percent of the population and they are happy with a Canadian flag or a provincial flag.”
Councillor Steven Trahan said he was concerned it would cause conflict among the 4,900 residents of East Ferris, which is located 15 minutes from North Bay. He noted that in comparison to the proposed month to raise the pride flag, there was just “one day” marked for official observance of Remembrance Day.
“I think it may cause some disruption in the municipality so just be aware,” Mr. Trahan said.
Ms. Rooyakkers noted the town had three flag poles that sometimes fly other flags, such as the Franco-Ontario flag.
“There’s always going to be division in the municipality,” she said.
Second Vote
Council had to vote a second time on raising the pride flag after a resident, Jack Doherty, brought forward a motion March 28 that was identical to the one put forward by Ms. Rooyakkers.During discussion prior to the vote, Ms. Rooyakkers said she had been shocked by Mr. Kelly’s previous use of the term “splinter group,” saying that splinter groups are those that have made a decision to break away from a larger group.
“I support LGBTQ and I know that other mothers, fathers, families, communities, and institutions support. So, it is not just a splinter group, it is a bigger group that wants to have the flag raised,” she said.
Ms. Rooyakkers said that the town had raised a flag to show support for Ukraine during the war “and that was five people. This is a bigger group.”
Mr. Kelly said he believed that they lived in an inclusive community, but said that 97 percent of the population was not represented in the pride flag.
Mayor Pauline Rochefort said she referenced the municipality’s policy on the issue and also researched the statistics that Mr. Kelly had given.
“I understand that a lot of people don’t self-identify [as LGBT],” she said, adding that she didn’t believe 3 percent was an accurate figure of those that identify as LGBT, but suggested it was closer to 10 percent.
The vote against the motion was again 3-2.
A small community in Alberta was divided over the same issue earlier this year and held a plebiscite about flying pride flags and painting crosswalks in rainbow colours.
The town of Westlock’s Feb. 23 plebiscite saw the motion for a neutrality bylaw pass with 663 votes in favour and 639 against it.
As a result of the vote, the town passed a bylaw that prohibits non-governmental flags from being flown on municipal flagpoles. It also limits the painting of town crosswalks in any other way than a traditional white-striped pattern.
A group of Westlock residents brought the issue to council with a petition that had 700 signatures on it. The community has 7,186 residents, according to the 2021 census data.
